Security

What Is Agent Suspension?

Temporarily disabling an AI agent so it stops processing messages and executing actions, without destroying its configuration or data.

In Plain English

Agent suspension is a controlled pause. The agent stops responding to messages, stops executing tools, and stops consuming LLM tokens. But its configuration, workspace data, conversation history, and credentials remain intact.

You suspend an agent when something goes wrong: unexpected behavior, cost spikes, security concerns, or during maintenance. Unlike a kill switch (immediate emergency stop), suspension is a deliberate operational action.

When you are ready, resume the agent with one click. It picks up where it left off with all data intact.

Why It Matters for OpenClaw

You need the ability to pause agents without destroying them. Suspension lets you investigate issues, apply fixes, and resume — all without losing state or requiring reprovisioning.

How Clawctl Helps

Clawctl provides one-click agent suspension and resumption from the dashboard. Suspended agents consume no LLM costs. Auto-recovery is paused during suspension. All data is preserved.

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Common Questions

Does suspension cost anything?

No LLM costs during suspension. The Clawctl platform fee continues as normal.

What happens to incoming messages during suspension?

Messages receive a configurable "agent unavailable" response. They are not queued or lost.

How fast can I resume?

Instant. One click restarts the agent. It is available within seconds.